Kei Nishikori

King of the court for five years, he’s still hungry for more victories
Londoner Andy Bray continued his stranglehold over Bermuda’s domestic tennis scene on Sunday as he powered to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over James Collieson, to win the Vitamin Water Open. The 31-year-old, a VP and financial controller at XL Insurance, has won practically every tournament he has entered since arriving in Bermuda five years ago.

Over the last three years he has won 10 out of 12 in the ‘majors’ – the island’s four annual ranking tournaments. The last time he lost a final was against Collieson at the Fairmont Southampton in 2005.
Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori has gained direct entry into the main draw of the men’s singles at the Wimbledon championships based on his world ranking.

The 18-year-old Nishikori is ranked 99th as of Monday, six weeks before the tournament, making him one of the 104 players who do not have to go through the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon.

Nishikori became the first Japanese winner on the ATP Tour in 16 years with his victory at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in February.

He went on to become the youngest-ever Japanese Davis Cup player in early April and his win at the lower-tier Bermuda Open in late April raised his ATP ranking to a career-high 99th.

At the upcoming French Open, he will play in the qualifying rounds.

JAPANESE SON RISING: Kei Nishikori is the youngest player in the Top 100 after winning the Bermuda Challenger, saving match points in the final.

YOUNES IS BACK: Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco, plagued over the last few years by various injuries, last week became the oldest tour semifinalist in 15 years when he reached the semis at Munich. The 36-year-old beat Juan Martin Del Potro to gain the semis, becoming the oldest tour semifinalist since Jimmy Connors in San Francisco in 1993 at 40 years old.

VENUS OUT OF THE FRENCH? The San Diego Union Tribune’s Jerry Magee is reporting that Venus Williams won’t play Roland Garros.
Read the rest of this entry »

Notes: Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori, a winner on the ATP Tour earlier this year, withdrew from the field last week after winning a Challenger in Bermuda …

Rising Japanese Kei Nishikori, who recently cracked the top 100, signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Sony. London-based reporter Ravi Ubha writes a …

ANDY MURRAY yesterday suffered a doubles defeat to add to his early singles exit in Barcelona.

ANDY MURRAY yesterday suffered a doubles defeat to add to his early singles exit in Barcelona. The Scot and Londoner Ross Hutchins lost 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to South African Jeff Coetzee and Kevin Ullyett from Zimbabwe in the second round of the Open Sabadell Atlantico.

NISHIKORI LOOKS FOR OLYMPIC SPOT: After winning the Bermuda Challenger, Japan’s Kei Nishikori cracked the Top 100 and is aiming for a spot in the Beijing …

Teenager Kei Nishikori from Japan (born in 1989) is still relatively slight 5ft 10, 155lbs but he could thump the ball when he had to. Kei is fast and there …

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick is scheduled take part in the Japan Open in September, the Japan Tennis Association said Thursday.